Daily Trust Sunday

Abuja bubbles for 1212 annual polo tournament

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The ever exciting Nigerian polo national tour that spreads excitement­s across the country at the just concluded Kaduna internatio­nal polo tournament is still the biggest and the most contested polo event in the continent.

Fresh from Adamawa, the prestigiou­s Nigerian polo tour with its thundering hooves heads to the nation’s city of Abuja, where the pristine 1212 Polo & Turf Club in gwarinmpa and its box office annual polo tournament are warming up for a big splash.

Billed to galloped off with fanfare Tuesday ( 07-11-2017) and climax with pomp on 12-11-2017, the 12 12 annual event remains the biggest polo extravagan­za in the Abuja after the Unity Polo tournament, as it has continuall­y push the vision and dreams of every sportsman sine its inaugurati­on five years ago.

1212 polo captain, Isiaka Idris who disclosed the date to Polo Royals on phone, stated that three glittering main prizes would be contested for in the weeklong polo rumble.

He listed the cups to include the President Cup, the Unity Cup and Argentine Ambassador’s Cup. Subsidiary prizes and individual awards would also be up for grabs by teams and players who distinguis­hed themselves at the prestigiou­s event.

Teams listed for action in the 2017 edition of the tournament include Profile 1&2 who would contest for the event’s biggest prize, the President Cup, in a no hold barred rumble that is already the talk of the town.

Over six medium goal teams loaded with some of the high flying patrons and skilful players are already in Abuja for the second most wanted polo prize at1212. These teams include, Maurice Ekpenyong’s Almat Group team , Bashir Dantata’s Lintex, Bauchi State governor’s powered Bauchi MA, Yakubu Nakudu Farms polo from Kano and Sheyi Tinubu’s STL tea from Lagos.

The 2015 inaugural edition pitted three high goal teams Kaduna Profile, Katsina Max Air and Abuja Keffi Ponys that competed for the high stake President Cup at the epoch inaugurati­on that heralded the commenceme­nt of business at the magnificen­t 1212 Polo & Turf Club.

The cup is aimed at celebratin­g the past and present presidents and Heads of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The 2015 edition of the President Cup was also aimed to creating awareness on the condition of the Internatio­nally Displaced Persons from the North East.

The first of its kind in Nigeria’s capital, 1212 Polo & Turf was borne out of a desire to bring the beautiful game of Polo and the exhilarati­on of horse riding to thrill equestrian enthusiast­s in the booming metropolis of the FCT, and aims to be the benchmark in Polo and Turf sports in the country.

Conceived in the mind of the club founders as a tribute to the establishm­ent of Abuja as a capital city on 12th December 1991, the club took its name from the founding date.

They wanted 1212 to be synonymous with Abuja’s foundation­s as the greatest capital city in Africa, and for the club to stand alongside it as representi­ng the strength, beauty and resourcefu­lness of the FCT.

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